Container having a movable bottom



June 1953 J.- P. BUNCE CONTAINER HAVING A MOVABLE BOTTOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9. 1948 /coo I INVENTOR. N R B wvcz:

ATTORNEYS Patented June 30, 1953 UNI-TED STATE-VS PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER HAVING A MOVABLE BOTTOM 101m PLBunce, Rochester, N. Y.

Application April 9, 1948, Serial No. 203.043

walls of the container.

A'further object of the invention is: the provision of acontainer having a: perforated false bottom which. is. adapted; particularly for raising or lowering racks containing articles in. the container filled with a. plating solution. the false bottom being operated. by" a. series of: cords or cables-trained on pulleys: mounted; in pairs at the top and bottom of each end wall, the. ends of. the cables being connected between. the ends. of the bottomand a manually rotated drum. upon which the cables are wound for raising the false bottom. A- ratchet and pawl cooperate to retain the drum against rotation while the false bottom is disposed in" an elevated position.

This invention is best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, nevertheless, itis to be understood that: the. invention is not confined to the'disclosure but: is susceptible of such changes and modifications as shall define no material departure fromv the salient features of the invention. as expressed in the append'ed'clai'm's.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical Iongit'udinal'section of tank showing a false bottom retained in an elevated position, H

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end view in elevation of the device showing the manually operated mechanism for raising or lowering the false bottom,

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2 showing a drum and ratchet mechanism for retaining the elevated false bottom in position,

Figure 5 is an end view in elevation of a modified form of false bottom provided with article supporting racks, and

Figure 6 is a reduced view in perspective of the false bottom and racks illustrated in Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, H) designates a container which may be a tank, bin or box and which may have various dimensions depending upon its use. In Figures 1 2 Claims. (01 134-164;

and 2, the container may be employed for storing vegetables or various articles. The container is preferably rectangular although it may beoval or circular and has amain bottom I I, end walls I 2 and. Ill and side walls Id. The bottom is equipped with casters l5 so that the tank may be moved over asurface-andraised above said surface.

An imperforate false bottom [6- conforms to the configuration of a horizontal section of thetank but is of slightly smaller dimensions so that the bottom maybe raised or lowered readily in the tank. A ballbearingl'l: is; mounted in a casing I8; A casing, in turnis secured in a pocket at each cornerv ofthe-false-bottom. The-bearings or rollers ride in the four corners of the tank and thus eliminate friction. Eyes or hooks 20 rise from the: four corners of the false bottom.

A. pairof. pulleys 2i and 22 are mounted on the top of the end wall. [3 while a pair of pulleys 23 and: 2'4: extend. downwardly and outwardly from the. lower edge on said end; wall. Pairs of pulleys 25-26 and LT-+28% extend. respectively from. the

in bearings in the end wall l3.

formed integrally" with the shaft for revolving the upper and lower edges or the end. wall 12. A cable 30 has its opposite ends connected between one eye- 2'!) at one corner of the bottom l6 and a drum 3i, and is trained on the pulley 2!. A

- cable-32 is trained onthepulley 2-2 and connected between an eye 26' onsaid drum. A- cable 33 is trained on pulleys- 25; 21- and 23- and connected between an eye 20 and the drum 311 A cable 3t is connected between an eye 29 and thedrum and trained on the pulleys 2'6, 128 and- 2s.

The drum 31' is securedtoa shaft 46- mounted A crank H is drum; -A ratchet wheel 42' is" secured to the drum and revolved therewith. A. pawl 43 engages the teeth of' the ratchetand is pivoted at 44' on the end wall 13.

In Figures 5 and 6 is shown a modified form of the false bottom illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The bottom is perforated and is adapted particularly for use in a tank filled with a plating solution. The eyes 20 and ball bearings ll are carried by the bottom 50.

A plurality of U-shaped frames 5! is mounted on the false bottom'and racks 52 are suspended from the bight portions of the frames. Articles 53 to be plated are hung or supported on the racks in any approved manner.

My device is operated in the following manner.

If the false bottom I6 or 50 is resting on the main bottom II of the tank or container [0, it is raised by rotating the crank 4| and likewise the drum 3|. All of the cables are wound on the drum in the same direction and elevate the false bot tom. The pawl 43 riding on the ratchet 42 will be in a position to engage a tooth of the ratchet and retain the drum against reverse movement while holding the false bottom in a predetermined position until the pawl is released manually.

When the bottom I6 is raised, articles of various kinds or vegetables may be stored on said bottom and the bottom is lowered so that a greater quantity of goods may be packed in the container. However, certain products as vegetables, maybe placed in the container when the false bottom is resting on the main bottom. When it is desired to remove some or all of the products, the false bottom may be raised in stages until all of the products have been removed.

When the tank has been filled with :a plating solution, the perforated bottom 50 together with the U-shaped members 5! and racks 52 are employed. The bottom is raised sufiiciently so that the articles 53 may be applied to the rack. When the racks are full, the bottom is lowered by the release of the pawl 43 with the operator controlling the reverse rotation of the crank 4|. The false bottom is raised when the plating operation has been completed. This device eliminates the old method of manually placing the racks equipped with articles in the tanks and removing said racks in the same manner.

What I claim is:

1. In a tank having a bottom wall and first and second end walls rising therefrom and means for spacing the bottom wall of the tank from a surface on which the tank is supported, a false bottom positioned within the tank, pairs of laterally spaced upper pulleys mounted on and rising above the upper ends of said end walls, pairs of laterally spaced lower pulleys mounted on and depending from the lower ends of said end walls to a level below the tank bottomwall,a cable drum mounted centrally on said first end wall at the side thereof remote from the false bottom, said cable drum being positioned with its axis perpendicular to the said side of said first end wall, a pair of cables at each side of the tank, each pair consisting of a first cable trained over the upper pulley on said first end wall at the related side of the tank and secured at one end to the drum and at its other end to the adjacent end of the false bottom at the side thereof adjacent to such upper pulley, a second cable trained under the lower pulley on said first end wall at the same side of the tank as said first cable and beneath the tank bottom wall and under the lower pulley on the second tank end Wall at the same side of the tank and over the upper pulley of the second tank end wall at the same side of the tank, the second cable being secured at one end to the cable drum and at its other end to the other end of the false bottom at the related side of the tank, and means for rotating said drum to raise and lower the false bottom in the tank.

2. In a tank having a bottom wall and first and second end walls rising therefrom and means for spacing the bottom wall of the tank from a surface on which the tank is supported, a false bottom positioned within the tank, pairs of laterally spaced upper pulleys mounted on and rising above the upper ends of said end walls, pairs of laterally spaced lower pulleys mounted on and depending from the lower ends of said end walls to a level below the tank bottom wall, a cable drum mounted centrally on said first end wall at the side thereof remote from the false bottom, said cable drum being positioned with its axis perpendicular to the said side of said first endwall, a pair of cables at each side of the tank, each pair consisting of :a first cable trained over the upper pulley on said first end wall at the related side of the tank and secured at one end to the drum at its other end to the adjacent end of the false bottom at the side thereof adjacent to such upper pulley, a second cable trained under the lower pulley on said first end wall at the same side of the tank as said first cable and beneath the tank bottom wall and under the lower pulley on the second tank end wall at the same side of the tank and over the upper pulley of the second tank end wall at the same side of the tank, the second cable being secured at one end to the cable drum and at its other end to the other end of the false bottom at the related side of the tank, and means for rotating said drum to raise and lower the false bottom in the tank, the upper and lower pulleys at each side of the tank being vertically aligned, and said cable drum being located intermediate the upper and lower pulleys and midway between the pulleys at the opposite sides of the tank.

JOHN P. BUNCE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 832,818 Simmons Oct. 9, 1906 1,325,246 I-Iolek Dec. 16, 1919 1,678,528 Perin July 24, 1928 1,932,097 Biggs Oct. 24, 1933 2,410,628 Brunette Nov. 5, 1946 2,464,730 Sutherland Mar. 15, 1949 2,517,318 Jefiers Aug. 1, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7 557,379 Germany Aug. 22, 1932 

